Marc Bazeley
Lachlan Lam revelled in kicking the first drop goal of his career to help Leigh Leopards to a 17-16 victory over Hull Kingston Rovers in golden point extra time; Robins head coach Willie Peters was proud of his side after the club endured more Wembley heartbreak
Last Updated: 12/08/23 7:32pm
Lachlan Lam celebrates his game-clinching drop goal in Leigh’s Challenge Cup final win over Hull KR
Lachlan Lam was delighted to be able to make the first drop goal of his career the game-clinching score in a Betfred Challenge Cup final as Leigh Leopards triumphed at Wembley.
The 25-year-old slotted the one-pointer in the fourth minute of added time and was immediately mobbed by his team-mates as it sealed a 17-16 win over Hull Kingston Rovers and ended Leigh’s 52-year wait for cup glory.
Lam’s winner came after team-mate Gareth O’Brien and Hull KR’s Brad Schneider had both missed extra-time shots at goal, and it was Leopards full-back O’Brien who provided the pass for the Lance Todd Trophy winner to seal glory.
“It’s my first professional field goal,” Lam said. “I’ve never kicked one in a professional game, and I think I’ve kicked one in a reserve-grade game in Australia.
“[O’Brien] missed that first one and had the trust to throw it back to me to take that kick and that comes down to mateship off the field and the type of people you want to have on your team.
“I went to celebrate and all of a sudden, I was on my back, and everyone was piling on top of me. It was a really special moment.”
Lam’s goal ensured he joined his father and Leigh head coach Adrian in becoming a Challenge Cup winner, with Lam senior being part of the Wigan Warriors team which won the trophy in 2002.
I went to celebrate and all of a sudden, I was on my back, and everyone was piling on top of me. It was a really special moment.
Lachlan Lam on his game-winning drop goal
This is the third trophy success Lam has overseen during his time in charge of Leigh, guiding them to an 1895 Cup and Championship Grand Final double last year.
The Leopards have taken the Super League by storm since their return to the top flight as well, currently sitting third on points difference from Wigan in the table, and the boss hailed the efforts of his side during that time.
“In the last 18 months, we’ve won everything in front of us and that’s not from being arrogant, it’s just hard work,” Lam said.
“We’ve had 15 new players come in this year and this is a magic moment for the club, but we feel there are good times ahead for us as well.
John Asiata and Adrian Lam celebrate with the Challenge Cup in front of Leigh’s fans
“It was an incredible finish. We planned for extra time over the last month, and it fell into place really well.”
Leigh captain John Asiata, who was part of the club’s successes in 2022 as well, believes there is plenty more to come from the team as they turn their sights to Super League and securing a play-off spot in the remaining six games of the regular season.
“We always set a goal we wanted to be in these big games and this year we ticked each game as it went by,” Asiata said.
“Every week, we started to improve and changed people’s minds in the way they think of us and what we can deliver on the field. Within the group, we looked at ourselves and said ‘we can do something big here as long as we’re strong mentally’.
Leigh’s players lift the Challenge Cup
“We got this opportunity and understood these moments don’t come often. It could be our last, it could be the first of many, and we just want to make sure when we get it, we make the most of it – and we did that today.”
Peters proud of Robins in defeat
Hull KR head coach Willie Peters was full of praise for his players after the club suffered another agonising defeat in a Challenge Cup final.
The Robins had pulled the game back to 16-16 thanks to a late try from Matt Parcell and conversion from Schneider, but could not replicate their golden-point victory in last month’s semi-final as the club’s wait to add to their sole cup win in 1980 goes on.
“I’m extremely proud of the players,” Peters said. “We went through a lot in that game and we didn’t handle that golden point all that well as we had done previously, but if you look at the 80 minutes when some things went against us we hung in there.
Hull KR captain Shaun Kenny-Dowall looks dejected at full time
“It just proves and shows the fight in this team and the character in the side to keep going at the end and lock it up, and unfortunately we lose in golden point.”
Hull KR still have an opportunity make the Super League play-offs and must put this loss behind them quickly before facing reigning champions St Helens at Totally Wicked Stadium on Friday August 18.
“We’ll prepare as best we can for the rest of the season, dust ourselves off and go back to what we always do,” captain Shaun Kenny-Dowall said. “We work hard and prepare well, and that will be the messaging for the rest of this week.
“We’re disappointed, but there is still full focus and a lot of rugby to be played at the back end of the year, and we want to get the most out of that.”
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